MADISON, Wis. — Local non-profit Cook It Forward‘s founder Josh Berkson knows firsthand the struggles restaurants still haven’t come back from after the last 18 months of the pandemic. As the co-owner of Lucille and Merchant, he needed all the help he could get to keep his restaurants in business.
But even as someone who still needs the help, Berkson is donating a portion of the funds he received during the pandemic to minority-owned businesses who he believes needs the help more than he does.
“It’s something that’s very impactful and something we care very deeply about,” Berkson said.
His non-profit is putting a call out to restaurant owners to donate 3% of the COVID stimulus funds they received from the government and donate it to minority-owned businesses who were denied the same funding.
“They received an email saying, ‘You have been approved and should be expecting funds in your account.’ And then a week later they got an email from the SBA, our U.S. government, saying, ‘We are sorry to inform you that we will not be distributing funds and you will be put at the end of the line.’”
The minority-owned restaurants Berkson references were previously approved for federal funding but had it rescinded after a lawsuit against the U.S. Small Businesses Administration prioritized businesses owed by women, veterans and minorities. Berkson said the racial disparities minority business owners faced was already apparent before the pandemic, but the gaps were widened over the past 18 months. Berkson said he no longer wants to wait for the government to take action when businesses need the help now.
Several local restaurants have already pledged to donate including Merchant, Sardine, BelAir Cantina and Ian’s Pizza.
“It was just the right thing to do,” said Ian’s Pizza co-founder Ian Gurfield.
Gurfield said he is donating around $18,000.
“Growing up my dad always told me you have to put yourself in other people’s shoes and that’s what I teach my kids today,” Gurfield said. “With what happened with these businesses, it just felt like it was the right thing to do.”
“We are asking for these businesses to donate that amount in revenue to Cook It Forward. It is not an acceptable use of RR Funds themselves to be donating. So in this case, we are offsetting sales to donate in a purpose that we believe in,” Berkson said.
Christine’s Kitchen and CocoVaa Chocolatier are two confirmed recipients of the funds. Berkson said a third-party organization will be reviewing applications of other minority businesses to ensure the funds go where they are supposed to. Berkson said anyone is welcome to donate to the cause through their website.
Any funds left over will be donated to Black-owned hospitality businesses in Madison.
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